13th World Day Against the Death Penalty: Drug Crimes

On 10 October 2015, the 13th World Day Against the Death Penalty is raising awareness around the application of the death penalty for drug-related offences, to reduce its use.

Running against the abolitionist worldwide movement, many countries added the death penalty for drug crimes in their legal sustem between 1980 and 2000. This trend is going down today, however, in somes countries, drug crimes are the main cause of death sentences and executions.

The death penalty in practice:

• 100 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes
• 6 countries have abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes
• 34 countries are abolitionist in practice
• 58 countries and territories are retentionist
• 22 countries carried out executions in 2014• 33 countries and territories retain the death penalty for drug crimes:
o 13 of the 33 countries have carried out an execution for drug crimes in the past five years
o 12 of the 33 countries retain a mandatory death penalty for certain categories of drug crimes
o 5 of the 33 countries are abolitionist in practice

... all over the world: read the Facts & figures
... and drug crimes: read the leaflet

Take action to stop crime, not lives:

1. Organize a public debate and a movie screening with exonerees, murder victim’s families, experts, to raise awareness on the reality of the death penalty
2. Organize an art exhibition (photo, drawings, posters) or a theatre performance from Dead Man Walking to Victor Hugo
3. Organize a demonstration, a sit-in, a ‘die-in,’ a flash mob
4. Join the events prepared for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide
5. Support urgent appeals and take part in social media action in the lead up to 10 October
6. Write to a prisoner on death row
7. Donate to the World Coalition against the Death Penalty or another group working to end the death penalty.
8. Follow the social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter: #nodeathpenalty
9. Mobilize the media to raise awareness on the issue of the death penalty
10. Participate in “Cities Against the Death Penalty/Cities for Life” on November 30, 2014

Call for initiatives

> On 10 October 2014, take action against the death penalty!
Join hundreds of initiatives organized worldwide

On 10 October 2014, the 12th World Day Against the Death Penalty is drawing attention to people with mental health problems who are at risk of a death sentence or execution. While opposing the death
penalty absolutely, abolitionists are also committed to see existing
international human rights standards implemented. Among these is the requirement that persons with mental illness or intellectual disabilities should not face the death penalty.

On 10 October 2013, the 11th World Day Against the Death Penalty is dedicated to the Greater Caribbean where few executions take place, but where a core of countries remain strongly opposed to abolition.

In Asia, death penalty for drug offences is one of the major issues. During the regional congress, two sessions addressed this issue. It is also the theme of this years’ World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October 2015.

On 10 October 2009, World Day Against the Death Penalty, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty wishes to teach abolition to all citizens around the world, especially to teenagers aged 14 to 18.

On October 10th, 2007, the World Day against the Death Penalty focussed on the proposed UN General Assembly resolution for a universal moratorium on executions. The proposal would save lives and give the population of retentionist states an opportunity to see for themselves that a pause in death sentences does not lead to higher crime rates.